Abstract:
Many coral reef organisms live in symbiotic relationships with photosynthetic microalgae. This symbiosis extends the energy resources available to reef organisms, thereby potentially influencing biodiversity. In octocorals, about one-half of the taxa contain photosynthetic symbionts while the rest do not, and thus octocorals are an ideal model to assess the relationships between biodiversity, spatial and environmental factors, and photosynthetic symbionts. Data collected from 1106 sites on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, between 12° and 24° S showed that taxa with photosynthetic symbionts (phototrophs) had higher abundances, wider ranges, and a wider spread of locations than taxa without symbionts (heterotrophs). In phototrophic assemblages, spatial turnover comprised both exchange and loss of taxa, and their richness was high across a broad range of environmental conditions. In contrast, heterotrophs were uncommon, had short ranges, and were located where energy supply was highest and disturbance lowest. Turnover between heterotrophic assemblages comprised taxonomic loss rather than exchange of taxa. The biodiversity patterns and differences between phototrophic and heterotrophic octocorals are similar to those recorded in more spatially limited studies of phototrophic sponges and hard corals, and heterotrophic sponges. This study therefore suggests that the association, or not, with photosynthetic symbionts, and spatial and environmental factors related to energy supply and disturbance are principal drivers of biodiversity, community composition, and ranges of coral reef benthos.
摘要:
许多珊瑚礁生物与光合微藻共生。这种共生扩展了珊瑚礁生物可用的能量资源,从而可能影响生物多样性。在八珊瑚中,大约一半的类群含有光合共生体,而其余的则没有,因此,八珊瑚是评估生物多样性之间关系的理想模型,空间和环境因素,和光合共生体。从大堡礁的1106个地点收集的数据,澳大利亚,在12°和24°S之间表明,具有光合共生体(光养生物)的类群具有较高的丰度,更宽的范围,与没有共生生物(异养生物)的分类单元相比,位置分布范围更广。在光养组合中,空间周转包括类群的交换和损失,在广泛的环境条件下,它们的丰富程度很高。相比之下,异养生物并不常见,射程很短,位于能源供应最高、干扰最低的地方。异养组合之间的周转包括分类学损失,而不是分类单元的交换。光养和异养八角珊瑚之间的生物多样性模式和差异与在更多空间有限的光养海绵和硬珊瑚研究中记录的相似,和异养海绵.因此,这项研究表明,或者不是,与光合共生体,与能源供应和干扰相关的空间和环境因素是生物多样性的主要驱动因素,社区组成,和珊瑚礁底栖动物的范围。